Home-Grown Herbal Tea and Reusable Cloth Tea Bags

In May I had the pleasure of harvesting some of my herbs for teas. Chamomile and Sweet Mint were the biggest hauls, with Rosemary close on their heels. They were dried in my new (to me) food dehydrator in just a couple of hours, and gave the house a wonderful fragrance. Here are the loose dried herbs in their jars waiting to be made into something. The jars were completely filled when I finished drying. 

Volunteer mint bed ready for another harvest

My biggest dilemma has been how to prepare the teas. Loose herbs in a pot? Kind of messy and difficult to clean. In a metal tea-ball? Either too big for the pot or too small for a pot. Disposable tea bags? Those are great for gifts, but I hate the waste. I came across a site with instructions for reusable cloth tea bags http://lillyella.blogspot.com/2009/05/crafting-reusable-tea-bags_19.html. 

I have made a few and they work out just great. Since it's summer, I make a quart of tea at a time and pour some over ice. It's a refreshing beverage and an alternative to water, sugary non-foods, and diet-drink chemicals. 


How is your summer harvest? What are you doing for yourself this summer?